# C o u rt o f

A p p ea ls

o f t h e S t a te o f

G eo rg ia

ATLANTA,_

_ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ __ _

Th e Co u rt

o f Ap p ea l s h er eb y p a s s es t h e f

o ll owi n g o r der :

A2 0 A0 26 6 . ABDUL MALI K CHESTNUT v . SHONTERRI A J EFFREY.

In 2 0 1 7, Ab d u l Mal i k Ch es t n u t fi led an act i o n i n m ag is trat e co urt ag ai n s t h i s

fo rm er l an d l o rd

, Sh o n t erri a J effrey

. T h e m ag i s t rat e co u rt en t ered j u d gm en t i n fav o r

o f Ch es t n u t

, an d J effrey a p p e a l e d t o t h e s u p eri o r co u rt

. Th e s u p eri o r co urt en t ered

ju d g m en t i n fav o r o f J effrey o n Feb ru ary 9

, 2 0 1 8

. Ch es t n ut t hereaft er fi l ed a m o t i o n

t o vacat e t h e co u rt ’ s ju d g m en t , wh ich was d en i ed o n Ap ri l 1 0, 2 0 1 8

. Ch es t n u t fi l ed

a d i rect ap p eal o n M ay

1 4 , 2 0 1 8 . W e l ack ju ri s d ict i o n

. Fi rs t

, a part y s eek i n g t o ap p eal a s up eri o r co u rt o rd er rev i ewi n g a m a g i s t rat e

co u rt deci s i o n m

u s t fi l e an ap pl i cat i o n fo r d i s cret i o n ary ap p eal

. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 5
(a) (1 ); Bu l l o ck v. S

a n d

, 2 6 0 Ga. A p p

. 8 7 4

, 8 7 5 (5 8 1 SE2 d 3 3 3 ) (2 0 0 3 ). Ch es t n ut

fai l ed t o fo l l o w t h e d is cret i on ary ap p l icat io n p ro ced u re, an d th i s d i rect ap p eal m u s t

b e d i s m is s ed

. See Bu l l o ck , s u p ra.

Seco n d

, ev en i f a d i rect ap p eal was au th o ri zed

, t h i s ap p eal i s u n t i m el y

. A n o t i ce

o f ap p eal m

u s t b e fi led wi t h in 3 0 d ay s of t h e en t ry o f t he o rd er s o u g h t t o b e ap p eal ed

. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 8 ( a )

. He r e, t h e s u p eri o r co u rt en t ered it s ju d g m en t on Feb ru ary

9

, 2 0 1 8, b u t Ch es t n u t d i d n o t fi l e h i s n o t ice o f ap p eal un t i l M ay 1 4

, 2 0 1 8

, 9 4 day s

l at er. 1 See Co u ch v. Un i ted Pa p er wo r ker s In t l

. Un i o n , 2 2 4 Ga. Ap p

. 72 1

, 7 2 2 (4 8 2

1 To t h e ex t en t t h at Ch es t n u t s eek s t o ap p eal t h e Ap ri l 1 0 o rd er d en y i n g h i s

m o ti o n t o v acat e t h e c o u r t ’s j u d g m en t

– wh i ch was , i n s u b s tan ce, a m o t i o n fo r

reco n s i d erat i on – t h e m o t io n d i d no t ex t en d t h e t i m e t o ap p eal th e Feb ru ary 9 o rd er,

an d t h e Ap ri l 1 0 o rd er i s n o t ap p eal ab l e i n i t s o w n ri gh t

. See Bel l v. Co h r an , 2 4 4 Ga. Ap p

. 5 1 0

, 5 1 0 -5 1 1 (5 3 6 SE2 d 1 8 7 ) (2 0 0 0 ); Sa va g e v. News o me , 1 7 3 Ga. Ap p

. 2 7 1,

2 7 1 (3 2 6 SE2 d 5 ) (1 9 8 5); s ee al s o Pl a n et In s

. Co

. v. Fer r el l

, 2 2 8 G a. Ap p. 2 6 4

, 2 6 6 September 05, 2019SE2 d 70 4 ) (1 9 9 7 ) (h o l d i n g t h at a t i m el y no t i ce o f ap peal “ i s an ab s o l u t e

req u i rem en t ”).

Fo r t h es e reas on s , t h i s ap p eal i s h ereb y DISM ISSED.

C o u r t o f A p p e a l s o f t h e S t a t e o

f G e o r g ia

C le r k ’ s O f f i c e
, A t la n t a
,

_

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ I c e r t i f y th a t t h e a b o v e i s a t r u e e x t r a c t f r o m

t h e m i n u t e s o

f t h e C o u r t o

f A p p e a l s o f G e o r g i a

. W i tn e s s m y s i g n a t u r e a n d t h e s e a l o

f s a i d c o u r t

h e r e t o a f f i x e d t h e d a y a n d y e a r l a s t a b o v e w r i t t e n

.

, C l e r k

.

(4 9 1 SE2 d 47 1 ) (1 9 9 7 ) (“ [ P ]l e a d i n gs , m o ti o n s an d o rd ers are t o b e co n s t ru ed

acco rd i n g t o t h ei r s u bs t an ce an d fu n ct i o n a n d n o t m erel y as t o t h ei r

n o m en cl at u re[.] ”). M o reo v er, ev en i f t h e Ap ri l 1 0 o rd er was di rect l y ap peal ab l e, Ch es t n u t ’ s n o t i ce o f ap p eal was s t i l l u n t i m el y as i t was fi l e d 3 4 d ay s aft er en t ry o f

t h at o rd er. See OCGA § 5 -6 -3 8 (a). 09/05/2019